I’ll admit I’m a sucker for stories about the malleability of human morality. From the mob movies, where a guy can whack his cousin but better not show his Patron any “disrespect,” to justice-seeking serial killers like “Dexter,” there’s plenty of justified violence to be found. Where do such seemingly contradictory value systems come from? [Read More...]

This has been quite a year for Christians. Actually, it’s been more of a year of prominent Christian stereotypes, but they’ve been entertaining if nothing else. So I thought for my final post of the year that I might share my “favorite” Christian stereotypes of the year. The Glad-Handler Not to be mistaken for any [Read More...]

Perhaps nothing has helped the ratings of The Learning Channel’s new show, All American Muslim, more than the Florida Family Association, the group at the heart of protests against the show. According to FFA’s website (not to be confused with Future Farmers of America), the nonprofit “…is an organization that is made up of THOUSANDS [Read More...]

I’ve always been a fan of the philosophy that if God had meant for humans not to eat meat, it wouldn’t taste so delicious. Mostly I like that perspective because I’ve grown up eating some kind of meat my entire life. But lately I’ve started to wonder if there’s a Biblical basis for vegetarianism. In [Read More...]

A surprising contingency of people seems to have their knickers in a knot about the so-called mosque at Ground Zero. What once was a retail clothing store has been sitting abandoned for years prior to these plans being drawn up. And though the common-sense response to rehabilitation of urban blight would be hearty support, it’s [Read More...]

I’m a sucker for nearly any reality show in which participants undergo a radical transformation. I love the big payoff at the end of the Biggest Loser season; I watch American Idol like a tweenie fan; and I’m man enough to admit I’m a total sucker for a makeover.

That’s why, when Morgan Spurlock, creator and star of the documentary film Super Size Me, started a new TV series called 30 Days, I was hooked before I even saw the pilot. [Read more...]

With the rampant concern about religiously-fueled terrorism in the United States since September 11, 2001, many efforts have been made by our government to cut off funding for terror cells at the source. As such, many Muslim charitable organizations are closely tracked by the FBI and CIA, and some are even “blacklisted” as untouchable.

Though we seek to preserve our safety and way of life, we also celebrate the value of religious freedom. So what is to be done when the premium of real, or perceived, safety infringes on such liberties? [Read more...]